COVID-19-related restrictions at schools, businesses, community centers and other facilities haven’t just disrupted many people’s way of life — they’ve also disrupted the supply of blood donations.

Because many places that would ordinarily host blood drives are closed or unable to accommodate large events, blood centers have seen significant decreases in their supplies, said Faith Nilhas, the blood bank supervisor at LMH Health.

“It’s very important to donate blood right now because so many community blood drives have been canceled due to COVID-19,” Nilhas said.

Ideally, blood suppliers like to have enough blood on hand to last a week or two, but Nilhas said shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to some blood centers having only a few days’ worth of blood in stock. And it’s not just the lack of blood drives that’s causing the problems, she said. Many baby boomers who were frequent donors are now experiencing health issues that leave them unable to donate, and people are hesitant to leave their homes and go to a donation site because of the risk that they could contract COVID-19 while they’re out and about, she said.

While COVID-19 decreased the supply of blood, Nilhas said the demand remains about the same as before the pandemic struck.

“The demand has not changed during the pandemic except for the first couple of months when some facilities temporarily stopped doing elective surgeries,” Nilhas said. “There were still patients who needed cancer treatment, babies were still being born, car accidents were still happening and there were still patients who needed emergency surgery. We actually saw an increase in GI bleeds in patients during the first few months of the pandemic, which could have been attributed to added stress and increased alcohol intake.”

Without more people who are willing to donate, Nilhas said it would be more difficult to supply doctors and patients with life-saving products.

“As someone who has worked in a blood bank or transfusion service for more than 25 years, it’s always concerning when we are notified by our blood supplier that they are experiencing a shortage and are unable to send us a particular blood product,” Nilhas said. “I worry that I won’t be able to give one or more patients the blood products they need.”

Concerns about donating

Many potential donors have concerns about giving blood — both because of the COVID-19 pandemic and for other reasons that have nothing to do with the pandemic. But Nilhas said blood centers are taking extra precautions against the virus and are doing what they can to make the process more comfortable and convenient.

Nilhas said workers at blood centers wear masks and undergo screening for COVID-19 before working with donors, and that the donors are required to wear masks too. She said blood centers follow social distancing practices and that all of the equipment used for collection is sterile.

Blood centers are accepting donations of more than just blood. Nilhas said centers are also taking donations of convalescent blood plasma. The Food and Drug Administration has encouraged people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have been healthy for at least two weeks to consider donating plasma, as it could help save the lives of other patients. Nilhas said people wanting to do this type of donation should bring documentation of a positive COVID-19 test with them.

One of the most common reservations people have about donating blood is a bit more mundane — pain. Nilhas said that there would be a pinch, just like any procedure that involves a needle, but that there were many ways to make the process more comfortable.

“It is important to drink plenty of water — not caffeinated beverages — prior to donation,” she said. “This is to make sure that you are properly hydrated, which helps the collection staff more easily find your vein and allow for good blood flow. Listening to music or reading a book during the donation can help one relax, too.”

The benefits of donating

Blood donation isn’t just a good way to give back to the community — it’s also a good opportunity to get some important screenings done.

Nilhas said blood donors receive a checkup that’s similar to a short physical. Workers at the donation centers will check donors’ temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin levels. If any of those are abnormal, it could indicate an underlying health condition a donor might not have known about. She said some donation sites offer another useful type of testing, too: a COVID-19 antibody test.

But although these perks are nice, Nilhas said they’re secondary to the main reason people donate.

“Donating blood is beneficial because you know that your blood could save the life of another person,” she said. “In a time of staying home and social distancing, we have found that for some, helping others and safely donating can give our donors a positive outlook and reduce the sense of isolation. These feelings can improve a person’s emotional well-being.”

Visit savealifenow.org/ to find the nearest blood donation site to you. Additionally, LMH Health hosts a blood drive every other month; the next drive is scheduled for March 7.

— Jessica Brewer is the social media and digital communications specialist at LMH Health, which is a major sponsor of the Lawrence Journal-World’s health section.